A communication bungle between Transport for New South Wales and the transport minister’s office is being blamed for why David Elliott and premier Dominic Perrottet did not know about Monday’s total shutdown of the Sydney rail network before the general public.
Questions continue to be asked about Elliott’s performance in the aftermath of the rail chaos on Monday that saw the entire network closed with no notice given to passengers. Full services are not expected to resume before next Monday.
Having accused the Rail Tram and Bus Union of “terrorist-like activity” on Monday, a day later Elliott announced the government had withdrawn a Fair Work Commission application against workers.
He went on to reveal he had gone to bed before the decision to stop the trains had been made, earning him a rebuke from Perrottet on Wednesday.
“The minister will reflect on that and realise that all ministers are available 24/7,” Perrottet said.
“That’s my expectation as premier.”
Elliott insists a briefing he received before going to sleep on Sunday night warned only of “significant delays”, not a total shutdown, blaming the bungle on poor communication.
Addressing the parliament on Wednesday afternoon, Elliott said that Transport for NSW considered it had informed the minister, in its obligation to notify him of “any significant developments”.
“However, my office remained of the view until approximately 1.30[am] that there would be a significant disruption to services but not a total network shutdown,” he said.
“What is clear is that the communication between the department and my office was not sufficiently precise.”
He confirmed that in a meeting on Wednesday the premier told the transport secretary, Rob Sharp, that any future major changes to services needed to be briefed to the minister in writing.
“That will ensure that there are no further incidence of this nature in the future,” Elliott said.
Earlier on Wednesday, Perrottet said he “should have been advised” by the minister and the department that the trains were going to be stopped.
He also asked Elliott to “reflect” on earlier comments about not being available at all hours, but said he still had confidence in him.
“My expectation is that ministers are immensely connected to the operational matters that are occurring within their portfolios.”
The premier has sought legal advice over the decision to close down the network and been looking into the roles played by Sharp, Elliot and senior officials in the shutdown.
“The technical legal issues are complex and I need to continue to get advice. I’ve sought advice and I’m working through it,” he said.
He said he was confident the decision made to stop trains “was the right one” – which was his first concern – and he was now turning his attention to why proper processes were not followed.
When asked if someone would lose their job over the saga, Perrottet said it would “depend on the findings” of an internal investigation.
“The ultimate decision needs to sit, in terms of making a call on the safety of the network, not with the union movement, but with Sydney Trains,” he said.
